By Janet Barclay, MVA
One of the most challenges faced by many of our clients is what to do about their ever-growing collection of business cards. Should they be organized by business name, industry, or by the individual’s first or last name? How can they do make good use of all these contacts they’ve made? And who are all these people, anyway? With today’s technology we can enter all the data into customer relationship management (CRM) software and not have to deal with those issues, and this article offers tips on making the best use of your CRM software.
Contact management software allows you to search on any field, so you don’t have to rely on remembering the person’s name or business name.
When entering contact data, keep track of where and when you met the person and why you are saving their information.
Learn as much as possible about your contact management software, so you can take advantage of any features that will benefit you in your business.
Assign categories so you can easily locate the names of people you need to contact for a specific reason. Outlook and other email programs come with several default categories, but you may want to create some of your own, based on your individual needs.
Set automated reminders for client birthdays and other important dates so you can acknowledge these occasions.
Keeping track of your clients’ purchasing habits or other information specific to your industry will enable you to send out targeted promotions.
Use an automated follow-up system to avoid missed opportunities.
If you often attend conferences or trade shows where you collect a large number of business cards, consider purchasing a business card scanner for entering information directly into your contact management program.
Keep your contact list up-to-date.
Be sure to perform regular back-ups.
About the Author
Janet Barclay offers a variety of services for Maximizing Your Time and Space, including productivity coaching and training, virtual administrative assistance, and office organization. For additional information or to request a subscription to The Organized Assistant Resource, a free monthly ezine, please visit www.organizedassistant.com.